The Detroit Pistons made waves yesterday when they traded former #5 pick [Jaden Ivey to the Bulls](https://pistonpowered.com/jaden-ivey-era-ends-disappointing-thud-detroit-pistons), but they weren’t the only team in the Eastern Conference making moves.
The Pistons have a 5.5 game lead on both the hated Knicks and Celtics, but both teams are playing well, and in the case of the Celtics, they have likely improved at the trade deadline.
The Celtics flipped Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vucevic, and on the surface, that looks like a fairly even trade, if not a good one for the Bulls, as Vooch is 35 years old and set to be a free agent. The Bulls now have a million guards on the roster, and Boston gets the center they’ve been coveting.
The Celtics have remained near the top of the East without Jayson Tatum and using a combination of Neemias Queta and Luka Garza at center, so this is a big upgrade for Boston and makes them scary for the Pistons even if Tatum doesn’t return.
The Celtics just landed a legit Pistons killer
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The Celtics not only upgraded their center spot but did so with a guy who the Pistons have had a hard time with over the years.
Boston knows they will likely have to beat either Detroit or New York if they want to emerge from the East, and this move shows they think that is a possibility.
Vucevic has torched the Pistons over the years, averaging 18.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 20 games vs. Detroit as a member of the Chicago Bulls.
He’s the exact type of center that Jalen Duren has troubles with, as he can step out beyond the 3-point line to negate some of Duren’s rebounding. Duren’s instincts (and his coach) tell him to run to the rim on transition defense, and if you do that against Vooch, he’ll just burn you with trailer 3-point shots.
Of course, Vucevic will have his hands full with Duren defensively, so hopefully the Pistons would be able to punish him on that end by targeting him in endless pick and rolls.
The Celtics were already one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league and just added another player who is hitting 37 percent this season from the center position.
This is why the Celtics scare me more than the Knicks, as they can get hot from 3-point range and blow anyone out on a given night, and Detroit may not have the firepower to match their offense.
Some Celtics fans thought the team might have sold low on Simons, but Vucevic gives them a weapon specifically for the Pistons.